(Clearwisdom.net) On our cultivation paths, in addition to the tribulations that ordinary people have created for us, sometimes we run into tribulations among fellow practitioners. If we can look within and cultivate ourselves, we will overcome these tribulations. Before the Communist regime started persecuting Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, I felt that fellow practitioners trusted one another and our cultivation environment was very harmonious. After the persecution began, the old forces created a lot of gaps among fellow practitioners, which has had a bad effect on the new practitioners and the practitioners who have just stepped forward to validate Dafa.
After I went abroad to study, I tried to contact the local practitioners in the area, hoping to join them. At the very beginning, the practitioners did not know me. In addition, I was not diligent in my cultivation, so sometimes I was regarded with suspicion, which was a big blow to me. In the past, I was so glad to meet fellow practitioners, but later I was very sad. My attachment of fear became more obvious. I wanted to explain my situation to these practitioners, but I was afraid that I would not be able to explain it very clearly, so I made the situation worse. I knew that these practitioners were busy doing a variety of Dafa-related things, so I did not want to negatively influence the one-body environment. Sometimes I even thought about leaving and just staying in my dormitory to cultivate alone, away from the rest of the practitioners. However, after I studied the Fa, I realized that I had come here to validate the Fa, instead of validating that I was not a spy. It was unnecessary for me to validate myself. I became clear-minded and knew what I should do.
Master told us:
"With anything you do, if it can stem from your considering Dafa, then I think things will be different and the situation will change. I'd suggest that all the students who are being regarded with suspicion go to the consulates or embassies and out on the street to pass out information, go to the places that need you most and directly, face-to-face, clarify the truth to people." ("Teaching the Fa at the Meeting with Asia-Pacific Students" in 2004)
I calmed down and tried my best to do some Dafa work. Gradually, the other practitioners' attitude toward me changed. I melted into the one-body cultivation environment. This year when I met with a practitioner from mainland China in my Fa-study group, I tried my best to share my experience with him so that I could help him overcome this difficulty and thus we could improve as one body.
Through Fa-study and taking part in the activities validating the Fa, I truly realized the importance of looking within and improving together as one body. This year I helped with some logistics during Divine Performing Arts' Chinese Spectacular. I found that the disciples from Divine Performing Arts not only performed on the stage, but did all kinds of logistics work behind the curtain. Furthermore, they very diligently paid attention to looking within and truly cultivating themselves. When they found their deficiencies on the stage or in the background, all of them naturally looked within. I was very touched by all that they did to validate the Fa. Before the performance, they always rehearsed. Just before the performance started, they recited the Fa and Lunyu together. This kind of pure field also encouraged me and reminded me to improve in the Fa.
When our personal cultivation conforms to the requirement of the one-body cultivation, Dafa disciples' strong energy fields and righteous thoughts will strike fear into the evil. Master told us;
"Each student has to truly, clearly realize what his responsibility is, and when he sends forth righteous thoughts he has to be able to truly calm his mind and truly produce the effect of righteous thoughts. So this is something extremely critical, extremely important. Then if every student is able to do that, I can tell you, with five minutes of sending forth righteous thoughts together, the evil in the Three Realms will never exist again." ("Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A." in 2001)
"Those of you who have fallen behind, who have become passive, who are full of complaints, who hold strong grievances against others, or who focus your attention on those in the Falun Dafa Association, none of you are willing to cultivate yourselves, and are instead looking outward." ("Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference")
Through studying the Fa I realized my shortcomings. Sometimes I am passive and have the attachment of hoping that others will understand me. But as Dafa disciples, we are different from ordinary people. We should know the Fa principles of "suffering hardships to eliminate tribulations and karma, improving xinxing in the conflicts, and finally reaching consummation." I hope we can let go of our attachments and look within and harmonize as one-body so that we can end this evil persecution and achieve completion in cultivation.
Thank you to our merciful and great Master!
Thank you, fellow practitioners!
July 2, 2008
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
